Norman hits top form for squash open

Press, 9 October 1985, Page 72

Norman hits top form for squash open

PA Auckland The Aucklander, Ross Norman, could hardly be happier with his form as he approaches the Honda City New Zealand squash open which starts at the Henderson club tonight The No.l seed and defending champion, Norman, aged 26, has won the last three tournaments he has played — the Adidas New Zealand championship, beating fellow Kiwi, Stuart Davenport, 4-9, 9-6, 9-1, 9-0; the Panmure open, and the Hutt Valley open at the weekend, beating the Australian, Ross Thorne, 9-4, 96, 9-6, in the final. Davenport is No. 2 seed for the Honda City open, and Thorne the No. 3 seed. ‘Tm certainly not unhappy with the way I’m playing at present, ” Norman said today. “My only concern is that if I peak too soon, I could burn myself out. And I’ve a lot of big tournaments coming up overseas in the months ahead.” Norman has fond memories of last year’s Honda City (men. Seeded only N 0.5 going into the tournament, he struck a brilliant patch of form on his way through to the final, where he beat the Australian, Chris Dittmar, 9-5, 9-3, 9-0, without dropping a game. That victory launched Norman, who had overcome a serious knee injury from a parachuting accident a year earlier, on the most successful period of his international squash career. He won the Spanish open, the German open, lost to the great Jahangir Khan in the semi-finals of the world open championships, then to Jahangir again in the final of the Muscat open. “That’s the best squash I’ve played,” said Norman, now ranked N 0.3 in the world. “And the Honda City open last year sparked it all off.” Australia’s Thorne, mean-

while, has had some special words of praise for the New Zealand open, and New Zealand’s squash administrators. The Australian squash open is also being held this week and Thorne has decided to by-pass it for the New Zealand event. “It’s pathetic that the Australian and New Zealand opens are on the same week. The prize money for our open is laughable compared with New Zealand’s, so I told them I would be playing in Auckland, where the money is so much better,” Thome said after losing to Norman in the final of the Hutt Valley open at the weekend. “The New Zealand open is also an international graded event which should help my world ranking,” added Thome, ranked N 0.9 in the world. “I fully support squash in New Zealand where ever I can. “The New Zealand association’s executive director, Mr Bill Murphy, is the best in the business - we’ve nothing to compare with him. “They know back home exactly why I’m here. I only hope they learn something from it.” The New Zealand open starts at 5.30 p.m. today. Norman is on court at 6.10 p.m. for his first-round match against his fellow New Zealander, Rory Watt. Thome plays New Zealand’s Stephen Cleary at 6.10 p.m., while Davenport meets Singapore’s Anthony Chua, in his first-round match at 6.50 p.m. The world and British women’s champion, Susan Devoy, will open her defence of the New Zealand women’s open title at 7 p.m. on Thursday, when she meets most improved New Zealand player of the year, Carolyn Viggers.

The men’s and women’s finals are on Sunday afternoon.